By Ronan Glon

Friday, Jul 13th, 2012 @ 5:00 am

A 1928 Cadillac V8 Town Sedan that belonged to Chicago gangster Al Capone is scheduled to cross the auction block on July 28th, 2012.

According to RM Auctions, Capone purchased the car new and quickly had it armored at a local body shop. Now 93-years old, the son of the body shop's then-owner clearly remembers his father installing steel plates to the rear of the Cadillac and Capone personally showing up to pay for the job and pick up the car.

After Capone sold the Cadillac it changed owners several times, ending up in the hands of an enthusiast who restored it in the late 1950s. During the restoration most of the 3,000 pounds of steel armor was removed but the sedan is still fitted with its inch-thick glass and its drop down rear window, a feature that comes in handy when shooting Tommy guns at following cars.

As its name implies, the Cadillac is powered by a 5.5-liter V8 engine that sends 90 horsepower to the rear wheels via a three-speed manual transmission. Mechanical drum brakes all around take care of stopping the car.

Apart from its proven connection with Chicago's organized crime, the Cadillac holds a special place in automotive history as one of the oldest surviving armored vehicles.

RM Auctions estimates that the Capone-owned Cadillac will fetch anywhere between $300,000 and $500,000. Stay tuned to Leftlane for a post-auction update.

Photos courtesy of RM Auctions.

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